Short Summary

CASSIUS CLAY, THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION, ARRIVED IN LONDON TODAY (MONDAY) FOR THE TITLE FIGHT AGAINST BRITAIN'S SPARRING.

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CASSIUS CLAY, THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION, ARRIVED IN LONDON TODAY (MONDAY) FOR THE TITLE FIGHT AGAINST BRITAIN'S SPARRING.

CLAY ARRIVED FROM NEW YORK MORE THAN FOUR HOURS LATE BECAUSE OF FOG. THE FIGHT TAKES PLACE ON SATURDAY WEEK (MAY 21) AT THE ARSENAL SOCCER STADIUM.

THE CHAMPION, WHO NOW CALLS HIMSELF MOHAMMED ALI, WAS SUBDUED AND QUIET WHEN HE SPOKE TO REPORTERS. HE WAS ASKED WHETHER HE HAD ANY PARTICULAR FEAR OF COOPER'S FAMOUS LEFT HOOK, THE PUNCH THAT FLOORED HIM IN 1963:
COOPER HAS BEEN TRAINING HARD AT LONDON'S MOST FAMOUS GYMNASIUM. IT IS ABOVE A PUBLIC HOUSE CALLED THE THOMAS A 'BECKETT, IN THE OLD KENT ROAD. HERE EACH DAY HE SWEATS IT OUT AGAINST SPARRING PARTNERS IN PREPARATION FOR HIS SECOND MATCH AGAINST CLAY.

THE OTHER WAS THREE YEARS AGO, BEFORE CLAY WAS CHAMPION, WHEN HE FLOORED THE AMERICAN AT THE END OF THE THIRD ROUND. BUT CLAY CAME BACK TO BATTER COOPER'S FACE AND WIN IN THE FIFTH.

COOPER, A 31-YEAR-OLD GREENGOCER AND FAMILY MAN, HAS RULED BRITISH BOXING FOR SEVERAL YEARS. HE IS CONFIDENT ABOUT HIS BID FOR THE WORLD CROW, BUT THE BOOKMAKERS ARE EQUALLY CONFIDENT THAT CLAY WILL NOT SURRENDER IT.